Steampulp

Investigating Mysteries in a World of Steam, Steel, Sigils and Science!

The team investigate a ship that has run aground

The team investigate the ship (the HMS Dauntless) which has run aground on some rocks near a lighthouse.
The ship is believed to have made a brief SOS signal about 36 hours previously; the nearby lighthouse also failed to make their scheduled report 24 hours previously, and no contact has yet been established with the lighthouse keepers.
The weather is foggy, which has hampered investigation attempts prior to the arrival of the PCs.

The PCs board the ship (pausing only to shoot an annoying seagull, in Annabelle’s case), whilst their small military detachment are instructed to guard the skiff that they approached on.

Annabelle locates the ship’s log, and quickly determines that the vessel has deviated from its planned route (it was supposed to be passinge a mile or so north of its current location, carrying cargo from the town of Ulfenstein to Central, the capital city of Corvair.
Sparks determines that the ships navigational mechanisms are in working order, concluding that the ship did not crash due to mechanical difficulties.
Ivan discovers a dead crew-member – the sailor died with his revolver in his hand, and seemed to have been felled by a blow to the head. Disquietingly, the corpse has bite marks that look about the right size to have been made by a human mouth.

Gaoth investigates the cargo hold, which is full for creates of paper, lumber, chemicals, and miscellaneous boxes. However; several of te crates have been broken open (from the inside, to Gaoth’s judgment). In the corner of once of the broken crates, he discovers a couple of vials of liquid, and the shards of strange gemstone. He mutters a couple of minor invocations, and determines that they are somewhat magical in nature (particularly the stone).

Eevee investigates the corridor nearby, but is suddenly jumped by a humanoid creature lurking in the shadows. The monster pummels her back, bruising her and knocking her off balance for a moment.
Gaoth runs in a uses his force magic of fire one of his coins into the creature’s chest and high velocity. The creature belows in rage and turns upon hi, but seems otherwise unipeded.
Eevee regains her balance, draws her pistol and wheels around with lightning reflexes, and shoots the monster squarely in the skull. It slows and staggers, but incredibly it continues towards the young mage, lurching erratically. Gaoth brings his considerable arcane powers to bear, and fires another coin into the creature. The monster finally goes down.

Still staggered and stocked, Eevee is taken by surprise but another of the creatures. A blow like a sledgehammer knocks her along the corridor and into a wall, causing her to loose consciousness for a moment.

Fortuitously, the other members of the team arrive at this point, and begin engaging the monsters. After tense several seconds of shooting (or crackling with arcs of electrical power, in Sparks’ case), the Wardens are able to dispatch the pale and misshapen monsters.

Taking stock, the party see that creatures resemble humans, except that for are pale, somewhat misshapen, and abnormally strong. They are unclothed, allowing the investigators to notice that they lack genitalia or navels.

Eevee awakens moments later and sits up, rubbing her head. With a lock of grim determination on her face she swears that this will be the last time something comes out of nowhere gets the better of her. She advances along that corridor, checking doors to see it able lock from the inside. Finding the object of her search, and draws a couple of lockpicks from her geared corset and in moments springs that lock open.

Entering the room, the party have a moment the observe a grisly scene of a dead man slumped next to a thaumatological circle.
Suddenly, a loud and booming creaking sound fills the air, an the ship shudders.